Translation guide
How to express 'leaving behind' in Japanese, covering physical abandonment, forgetting items, surpassing others, and leaving a legacy.
To leave someone or something in a place and go away, often with a sense of abandonment or neglect.
Literally 'leave behind and go'. Strong nuance of abandonment. Used for people, animals, or things left intentionally or carelessly.
彼は家族を置き去りにして逃げた。
He fled, leaving his family behind.
犬が道端に置き去りにされていた。
A dog had been left behind on the roadside.
Literally 'put and go'. More neutral than 置き去りにする. Can be used for intentionally leaving something behind, or simply not taking it along.
荷物を駅に置いて行ってしまった。
I accidentally left my luggage at the station.
To abandon, forsake. Strong emotional nuance, often used for abandoning a person in need or a cause.
彼は困っている友人を見捨てた。
He abandoned his friend who was in trouble.
To accidentally leave an item somewhere because you forgot to bring it.
The most common and natural way to say you left something behind by forgetting it. Use with location particle に or で.
電車に傘を忘れた。
I left my umbrella on the train.
ホテルに携帯を忘れてしまった。
I accidentally left my phone at the hotel.
Compound of 'put' and 'forget'. Emphasizes the act of putting something down and then forgetting it.
To leave someone behind in terms of progress, skill, or achievement.
To overtake, surpass, or outstrip. Used in competitive contexts. The object is the person or thing being surpassed.
彼はライバルを抜いてトップに立った。
He left his rivals behind and took the lead.
To pull away from, leave far behind. Emphasizes creating a large gap.
彼は他の選手を大きく引き離した。
He left the other runners far behind.
Metaphorical use of 'abandon', implying leaving others behind in progress or development.
技術の進歩が一部の人々を置き去りにしている。
Technological progress is leaving some people behind.
To leave something behind after one's death or departure, such as a reputation, work, or memory.
General verb for 'leave behind' in the sense of leaving a result, legacy, or trace. Very versatile.
彼は素晴らしい作品を残した。
He left behind wonderful works.
彼女は多くの人に影響を残して去った。
She left a lasting influence on many people.
Kanji variant of 残す specifically for leaving behind after death (legacy, will, etc.). Often used in formal or literary contexts.
彼は家族に莫大な財産を遺した。
He left a huge fortune to his family.
カフェに財布を置き忘れた。
I left my wallet behind at the café.